7000 forced to retire, but are 50,000 promised jobs given appropriately?
KOHIMA, SEPTEMBER 26 (MExN): The Nagaland Senior Government Employees Welfare Association (NSGEWA) has alleged that the implementation of the ‘Nagaland Retirement from Public Employment (Second) Amendment Act, 2009’ (henceforth The Act) has taken away 7000 government jobs up till now but hasn’t clearly employed the promised 50,000 educated unemployed. The Association has termed the Act “unconstitutional”, and “against” justice and human rights. Calling it an “absurd rule” not found anywhere else in the country, the NSGEWA explained through a press release that “The Act fixed the retirement in two way i.e. an Employee has to retire either on completion of 35 years length of Service or on attaining 60 years of age, whichever is earlier”.
This, as per NSGEWA, was in contradiction to the ruling DAN government’s stand, in November 2007, just before the 11th General Election, to increase the age of retirement of Government Employees from 57years to 60 years. “This was done without considering the social aspect and unemployment problem in the State and in the process they were re-elected and came back to power,” states the release from Chairman, Roko Pier, and General Secretary, T. Ovung, of NSGEWA.
“However, within a short span of two years, the DAN Government bowing to the pressure of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) who were demanding fixation of maximum length of service that is 35 years (which does not come under the purview of Pension Rules) for the State Government Employees passed the ‘Nagaland Retirement from Public Employment (Second) Amendment Bill 2009’ in July”. This led to the forced retirement of 3800 senior government employees at one go on 31.10.2009.
This unilateral decision of the Government of Nagaland, as per NSGEWA, that “snatched away the livelihood of thousands of Government Employees” is not only “unconstitutional but also against the principle of Justice and Human Right”. For NSGEWA, it is clear that politicians are “playing” with service rules of government employees for “political gains”.
The DAN Government passed the Act in order to give opportunities to 50,000 Educated Unemployed Youth. “Under this infamous Retirement Act about 7000 Government Employees were forced to retire up to date, but for filling up of the vacancies one should ponder now as to how many genuine candidates from among the educated unemployed youth have been appointed against the resultant vacancies and whether the DAN Government is sincere in their commitment to employ 50,000 educated unemployed youths or appointments are been done randomly through back door for their political advantages?”
NSGEWA has revealed a “hidden paragraph” from the Nagaland Government’s petition to the Supreme Court on the same: ‘The population of Nagaland is about 20 lacs consisting of about 3,00,000 families. Out of this 2,25,000 families had no single member employed in Government service for the last 40 years’. If the policy of the government is to evenly distribute jobs through the Act, the NSGEWA wonders “How many families without a member employed in the Government service have been recruited so far?”
Now that many government departments are also facing a problem due to the Act, the government is “contemplating to review the Act and do away with length of service before another election with sole aim to draw the support of those in-service now. In such eventuality, we wonder how the Naga Student Federation will react?”
Highlighting a pertinent point, the NSGEWA has brought to attention that “many Employees who retired by October 31, 2009 as per the infamous Act of 2009 were not paid their hard earned money i.e. GPF (General Provident Fund).” While the GPF is to be paid to retiring employees on the day of retirement, the retired have already waited for 3 years. Keeping all this in mind, the NSGEWA has asked the government to stop taking them “on a ride” for political benefit.
